Free A Sweet Deal (Crimson Romance) by Monica Tillery

while she worked her magic. The artwork was pleasing, soothing, and her candy dishes were always full. The plush chairs sitting opposite her desk tended to lull visitors into relaxation while she spoke, making them more amenable to her requests.
    Tate returned with her coffee, fixed exactly the way she liked it, and she wrapped her hands around the warm mug. “Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver. I was drifting off in the meeting and will never make it through the afternoon without a little caffeine.”
    “You got it. Is there anything else?”
    She knew there was something she was missing but simply couldn’t think of it. “No, I guess that’s it for now. Thank you.”
    Left alone, she sipped her coffee, expecting to savor it and enjoy the aroma. Instead, nausea gripped her and she reached for the small garbage can at the side of her desk. A couple of deep breaths and a moment later, the urge subsided and she sat back in her chair, grateful that she hadn’t been sick in the conference room. She needed sleep, and badly. Since the trip to Vegas, stress had been her constant companion, and sleep eluded her, which likely explained the drowsiness and nausea. She never felt well when she missed too much sleep. Between failing to close the deal with Morgan Confectioners and succumbing to her lust for Richard like some kind of hormone-crazed teenager, it felt like she was losing control of her life. Like she was someone else lately.
    Pushing the coffee cup away, she pulled out her calendar, prepared to tackle her work with renewed enthusiasm, to regain her sense of competency. Ready to put thoughts of Richard behind her and focus on things she could control, she jiggled her mouse to wake up her computer. As she scanned the dates on her calendar, noting meetings and deadlines, the nagging thought that she was missing something resurfaced, then crystallized. Her period was late.
    She was never late; this couldn’t be. It was only a week, but it was late enough to set off alarm bells. Her radiation treatments had made it impossible for her to become pregnant, hadn’t they? But she’d never been this late before. Best to find out for sure. Nothing would be accomplished until she knew, so she left early and headed for the nearest drugstore.
    • • •
    Richard held a finger up as his assistant, Chloe, leaned around his doorframe. The conference call was winding down, but he had asked for no interruptions and her impertinence irritated him. She bit her lip nervously and stepped inside the office, closing the door silently behind her. She shifted from one leg to another, obviously waiting for an opportunity to relay some urgent message. He finished his call without rushing, sat back in his chair, and spread his hands before him.
    “Yes, Chloe, what is it?” He didn’t bother to keep the irritation out of his voice.
    “Sir, Yvette Cruz from Saffron Sweets is here to see you. I told her that you were unavailable, but she insists that she speak to you. I don’t think she’ll leave.” Chloe glanced at the door, looking ready to dart out.
    He sat up. “She’s here?”
    Chloe nodded and took a step back. Yvette had honored their agreement of no contact for almost a month after they said goodbye at the airport. She hadn’t so much as emailed him about the acquisition. During that time, he had made it his mission to eradicate all thoughts of Yvette Cruz from his mind. By burying himself in work and spending any free time he had left over at the gym, he told himself he had managed to release the memories of that night. He had almost forgotten the way her skin felt beneath his hands, the exquisite pleasure he took in unpinning her hair and watching it shake loose around her slim shoulders, and the unbearably satisfying weight of her perfect breasts in his hands. He told himself that he could scarcely remember her delectable vanilla scent, the taste of her on his tongue, the delicious sound of her throaty laugh. No, she was a